Bob was signed by MGM in January, 1929, one of many Broadway actors signed in a rush by the studios to appear in the new "talkies." They had him, but apparently were not sure what to do with him, letting him sit idle. Having been advised that he needed to get himself in a better position to get the attention of the MGM brass, Bob went looking for and found a role in a Joseph M. Schenck production which was distributed by United Artists. It worked. MGM immediately cast him in So This is College and it would be some years before he was allowed any more idle moments by the studio. Three Live Ghosts was released in September 15, 1929. Bob would be co-starred in four films by MGM that were filmed before the end of the year.
Three Live Ghosts has become a ghost itself, no prints of the movie having survived the years. We are left with a couple dozen stills, a herald and a lobby card (that I know of!). Wouldn't it be fascinating to see Bob appear on screen for the first time?! (And, yes, I know. He was an extra in The Single Standard. Whereas it is enjoyable to watch the young Bob dancing across the screen, it is his voice that makes the man for me.)
I've blown up Bob from the photo so you can see him without a magnifying glass. Note how they have a scarf around that rather long neck. And, whereas the hat is rather nifty, the rest of his attire is old and scruffy. The first and last time you will see a scruffy Bob!
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